Open fireplace



July 12, 1966 J. 5. DANDINI 3,260,256

OPEN FIREPLACE Filed March 27, 1964 INVENTOR. JUL/ANA 5. DA ND/N/ ATTORNE Y5 flue gases and the like. side of the fire is visible to the users so that the aesthetic 3,260,256 OPEN FIREPLACE Juliana S. Dandini, 1157 The Strand, Reno, Nev. Filed Mar. 27, 1964, Ser. No. 355,262 2 Claims. (Cl. 126-120) advantages are minimized. In like fashion, the advantages obtained by utilizing a fireplace for heating is also minimized. 5 f Recently, there has been a trend toward building fireplace constructions which are suitable for placement away from the walls and out into the room. Such structures have the advantage of being visible from all sides and radiating heat and light in all directions. Moreover, such fireplaces may be made in a number of symmetrical constructions which have a particularly pleasing appearance. In other words, the fireplace may be made circular, square or hexagonal if desired. At the same time, such a fireplace may contain a raised hearth construction which is also exceptionally attractive and suitable as a low table.

While these and other obvious advantages are obtained in such fire-place constructions, the constructions prior to this invention have all utilized a chimney construction which creates an unattractive appearance over the top of the fireplace because of the cumbersome ducts utilized. Moreover, such chimney structures are completely out of place in the interior of a room. Nevertheless, they were considered necessary prior to this invention in order to remove smoke and flue gases in the usual manner and provide the desired convection currents.

Accordingly, it isapri-mary object of the present invention to eliminate the chimney structure heretofore utilized in fireplaces and to provide a forced draft to carry flue gases away from an attractive hooded structure carried in operative position above the fire box.

Another object of the invention is to provide a fireplace which may be placed away from the wall of the room and designed in an attractive symmetric design so as to present both an attractive fireplace and a fire in position to provide maximum benefits.

A further object of the invention is to provide a fireplace structure of the character described in which hollow columns are utilized to hold an attractive mushnoom-like cupola that serves as a hood and means are provided for exhausting such flue gases through said hollow columns.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a fireplace structure which has eliminated the usual smoke stack and which is designed to provide maximum efliciency of the heat given off by the fire held in such structure.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent as the specification progresses, and the new and useful features of the Open Fireplace will be fully defined in the claims attached hereto.

The preferred form of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this description in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a typical fireplace unit constructed according to the invention in place away from the Walls of a room;

FIGURE 2, a cross-sectional elevational view of the United States Patent 0 ice fireplace shown in FIGURE 1 taken substantially in the plane of line 22 thereof; and

FIGURE 3, a plan sectional view taken substantially in the line 3-3 of FIGURE 2.

While only the preferred form of the invention is shown, it should be understood that various changes or modifications may be made within the scope of the claims attached hereto without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Referring to the drawing in greater detail there is shown an open fireplace 11 supported by floor 12 of room 13 at some distance from each of the walls 14 thereof. In this way, it is possible to see the fire lfl'Ol'lI all sides. In addition, it is seen that an attractive unit may be provided which is of a symmetric design such as the symmetric design here shown.

In its broad aspects, the fireplace 11 comprises a hearth 16 having a fire box 17 centrally disposed therein, a hood 18, and means 19 for holding the hood in spaced vertical relation above the fire box. Preferably, the means 19 are in the form of a plurality of hollow posts 21 which serve as support structures for the hood with at least one of the posts being hollow for the removal of flue gases from the hood.

As here shown,the hearth 16 is of a flattened right circular cylindrical construction and contains a hollow center or chamber 22 which is in communication w1th the openings in the hollow posts 21. The posts are disposed symmetrically in circular fashion on the top of the hearth between the fire box 17 and the outer periphery of the hearth. The hood 18 is also radially symmetrical and preferably a mushroom shaped cupola having its lower portion in the form of a circle corresponding roughly in size to the circular cross-section of the hearth. The hollow posts 19 thus support the hood 18 in a symmetrical fashion and the hollow portions of the posts 21 are constructed to communicate with the space within the curved portion of the hood. v

With this construction, air which is drawn down through the posts will remove the air trapped under the hood and make room for rising convection currents from the fire to carry flue gases and smoke therein. Although it will be appreciated that only one hollow post is necessary to render the device operative, it is preferred to utilize a plurality of symmetrically spaced hollow posts or have all of the posts hollow as here shown in order to provide the most efficient removal of smoke and flue gases.

Accordingly, since the flue gases are to be removed downward through one or more of the posts, it is necessary to provide forced draft means for causing such air movement. Preferably, such forced draft means are provided in an outlet duct 24 which is in communication with the chamber 22 of the hearth by a fan 23 carried within the duct. As here shown, the duct 24 is disposed underneath the floor 12 of the room and directed toward any convenient exit point (not shown).

If desired, conventional means may be provided to adjust the speed of the fan 23 or other equivalent exhaust means may be utilized in controlled fashion. The control of the forced draft is advantageous because it is desirable to utilize only suflicient draft to remove smoke and flue gases while avoiding an excess draft. Since the amount of smoke may vary from time to time, it is desirable to provide a heavy draft during smokey periods such as when the fire is being started and yet allow a lesser draft when an even fire is obtained.

The hearth construction here shown provides a hollow chamber which carries a fire box therein so that the most eflicient utilization of heat may be provided. In addition, the flue gases exhausting as indicated by arrows 26 will keep the fire box 17 warm and assist in maintaining an even fire. This helps avoid the usual problem of having a wood fire go out near-the edges thereof. In addition, the hollow hearth together with the other means of handling the hot air assures the most efficient heating effect.

While the foregoing discussion describes the function and utility of various of the structures, it will be appreciated that one of the main advantages to the fireplace of this invention is the ability to provide units which may be made in an attractive appearance and which may be combined together to provide an overall attractive composition. Thus as here shown, the hearth is constructed to form an attractive round table having attractive facing, and the mushroom shaped hood also has an attractive facing. The posts are graceful, cylindrical columns and provide a particularly attractive appearance which will go Well with certain types of architecture. Alternatively, the unit may be made with a square hearth and square posts and a square hood, if desired, or any other design which goes well with the room.

Another advantage of the unit resides in the ability to make a portable unit which can be installed in a house simply by putting an appropriate hole through the fioor and installing the duct 24. The fireplace is then placed in position over the duct 24 and is ready to operate without any changes being made in the walls or the ceiling and without cumbersome chimney construction. When it is desired to move the unit, it may be readily moved and the hole made for the duct 24 easily filled by conventional construction methods.

The fireplace may be equipped with any suitable accessory units such as the grate 27 here shown in the fire box 17. This grate may be removable and equipped with handles 28 for such purpose. This removability allows for an easy cleaning and loading of the fireplace or other maintenance.

In operation, the fire is lighted in the usual fashion with the fan 23 being turned on. Flue gases and smoke rising from the fire by convection currents will reach the inside area of the inverted curve of hood 1% which is under a partial vacuum due to the suction of air through openings 29 into hollow posts 21. The flue gases then proceed from the hood out through the hollow posts 21, chamber 22, and duct 24 to any suitable disposal point outside of the house.

From the foregoing description, it is seen that I have provided a chimneyless fireplace which is capable of being placed in the middle of a room, and which provides an attractive appearance.

I claim:

1. A fireplace construction adapted for use in a position spaced from the walls of a room, comprising a hollow hearth and a fiue structure including a top wall, bottom wall and side wall means, said top wall, bottom wall and side wall means defining a hollow section under said top Wall, said top wall having an upper border portion and a depressed central fuel receiving portion disposed completely within said upper border portion, said depressed central fuel receiving portion serving as an open fire box and arranged to be surrounded by the hollow section, a concave hood disposed in vertical relation above said hearth, a plurality of hollow posts extending between the peripheral portions of said hearth and having their hollow interiors in open communication with the interior of the hood and the hollow section of the hearth, said posts being symmetrically disposed around the center of the fireplace construction and extending upwards from positions at the upper border portion of the top wall of the hearth to positions near the periphery of the hood with the posts providing the sole support for the hood, the cross-sectional area of said posts being substantially less than the corresponding area of the hearth to provide a substantially greater open area between the posts than the area of obstruction created by the posts to attord an open view of a fire in the fire box from all sides, a discharge duct extending through the bottom wall of the hearth and communicating with the hollow section of the hearth, and forced draft means for moving gases from the hood through the posts into the hollow section of the hearth and out through the discharge duct.

2. The fireplace construction defined in claim 1, in which the hearth, depressed fuel receiving portion, and hood are all circular in configuration.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 249,547 11/ 1881 Reed.

1,143,553 6/1915 Rector 126-91 X 1,707,281 4/1929 Sauvage 1l0162 X FOREIGN PATENTS 528,506 8/1921 France.

2,233 1855 Great Britain.

FREDERICK KETTERER, Primary Examiner. 

1. A FIREPLACE CONSTRUCTION ADAPTED FOR USE IN A POSITION SPACED FROM THE WALLS OF A ROOM, COMPRISING A HOLLOW HEARTH AND A FLUE STRUCTURE INCLUDING A TOP WALL, BOTTOM WALL AND SIDE WALL MEANS, SAID TOP WALL, BOTTOM WALL AND SIDE WALL MEANS DEFINING A HOLLOW SECTION UNDER SAID TOP WALL, SAID TOP WALL HAVING AN UPPER BORDER PORTION AND A DEPRESSED CENTRAL FUEL RECEIVING PORTION DISPOSED COMPLETELY WITHIN SAID UPPER BORDER PORTION, SAID DEPRESSED CENTRAL FUEL RECEIVING PORTION SERVING AS AN OPEN FIRE BOX AND ARRANGED TO BE SURROUNDED BY THE HOLLOW SECTION, A CONCAVE HOOD DISPOSED IN VERTICAL RELATION ABOVE SAID HEARTH, A PLURALITY OF HOLLOW POSTS EXTENDING BETWEEN THE PERIPHERAL PORTIONS OF SAID HEARTH AND HAVING THEIR HOLLOW INTERIORS IN OPEN COMMUNICATION WITH THE INTERIOR OF THE HOOD AND THE HOLLOW SECTION OF THE HEARTH, SAID POSTS BEING SYMMETRICALLY DISPOSED AROUND THE CENTER OF THE FIREPLACE CONSTUCTION AND EXTENDING UPWARDS FROM POSITIONS AT THE UPPER BORDER PORTION OF THE TOP WALL OF THE HEARTH TO POSITIONS NEAR THE PERIPHERY OF THE HOOD WITH THE POSTS PROVIDING THE SOLE SUPPORT FOR THE HOOD, THE CROSS-SECTIONAL AREA OF SAID POSTS BEING SUBSTANTIALLY LESS THAN THE CORRESPONDING AREA OF THE HEARTH TO PROVIDE A SUBSTANTIALLY GREATER OPEN AREA BETWEEN THE POSTS THAN THE AREA OF OBSTRUCTION CREATED BY THE POSTS TO AFFORD AN OPEN VIEW OF A FIRE IN A FIRE BOX FROM ALL SIDES, A DISCHARGE DUDT EXTENDING THROUGH THE BOTTOM WALL OF THE HEARTH AND COMMUNICATING WITH THE HOLLOW SECTION OF THE HEARTH, AND FORCED DRAFT MEANS FOR MOVING GASES FROM THE HOOD THROUGH THE POSTS INTO THE HOLLOW SECTION OF THE HEARTH AND OUT THROUGH THE DISCHARGE DUCT. 